Lower Glanmire Road - RIC Barracks

The Royal Irish Constabulary Barracks at 127 Lower Glanmire Road fell victim to an arson attack on the night of July 12th 1920. Along with King Street (MacCurtain Street) and St. Luke's, it was attacked by members of the First Cork Brigade and rendered useless thereafter. 

The RIC barracks today.

Although it sat in a convenient location across the road from the train station it did not deter Volunteers who raided the railway yard for supplies! But, this was an area of the city which proved dangerous for those who pledged to fight for a Republic, because it was an area populated with many unionists. 

When the Lower Glanmire Road Barracks was fire bombed on that 12th of July night in 1920 it sent a message to those in the area that the streets of Cork were no longer Royal, they were Republican streets in a Rebel city. 

Auxies from the dreaded K Company standing outside the train station on the Lower Glanmire Road.

General Post Office - December 21 1920

It was 7:30pm on a dark December evening when three men held up the general post office on Oliver Plunkett Street in the name of the Republic. What followed resembled something from a wild west shootout.

The GPO on Oliver Plunkett Street

Three IRA Volunteers entered the post office and instructed everyone to put up their hands as a cash withdrawl for the Republican Army was about to take place.

Inside the GPO today.

 Unbeknownst to the three Volunteers there were two plain clothes detectives in the building who, instead of putting up their hands, drew their guns.

                                             The side door facing onto Pembroke Street.



A gun fight broke out in the post office between the three IRA Volunteers and the two detectives. With bullets flying everywhere, there were of course casualties. 

Cork's GPO

19 year old IRA Volunteer Patrick Tarrant from Ballintemple was at the doorway of the Pembroke Street entrance to the post office when he was struck by two bullets, one in his face and one in his chest, he was killed instantly. The other two Volunteers managed to flee the scene unhurt. 

GPO Pembroke St side

A civilian by the name of Timothy Donovan was in the post office at the time posting parcels when a bullet pierced his abdomen. The 31 labourer who had fought in WWI with the Munster Fusiliers was taken to the Mercy Hospital where he died the next day.  

Vol. Tarrant was a member of D Company 2nd Battalion Cork No.1 Brigade